Tire for velocipedes



41s. B OWLEY; TIRE; FOR VELOGIPBDBS..

(No Model.)

. No. 442,948. Patented .13405153894 UNITED STATESl IATENI (hartemv ARTHUR SYDNEY BOWLEY, or LONDON,ENGLANQASSIGNOR To THE OVER-j,

MAN WHEEL COMPANY, 'or CHICOPEErALLs,vk MASSACHUSETTS.

'- 'TIRE FoaveLooiPEDESv SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters-,Patent Np.442,94e,v 1ated.necember 1e, 1890.

Application mea october e, 1890. sei-n1 No. 367,170. (No man.) Patented in regina my 8,1889, N9. 7,734.

, To all whom` t may concern:

. Be it known that I, ARTHUR SYDNEY BOW- A LEY, of Balham Grove, Balham, London, in the county of Surrey, England, have in vented new Improvements in Tires for Velocipedes and Like Vehicles, (which has been patented in Great Britain May 8, 1889, No. 7,7343) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken" in connection with accompanying drawings andthe letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear,`and exact description of =the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in pneumatic tires for velocipedes, the object being to utilize the tires themselves in autoniatically maintainingthe required pressure "of air within them.

sists inthe combination, with a yielding hollow tire, of an air-pnmparranged to be operated by motion derived from the inward disf placement ofthe tire under pressure. y My invention further consists in 'certain details of construction and combinations 'of parts', as will be hereinafter desc1ibed,'and pointed out in the claims. M 1' A Inl the accompanying drawings, Figure l'is a view in transverse section of, one form which a tire constructed 'in accordance withmy invention may assume, and Fig. 2 isa modified form thereof. A

vAs shown by Fig, 1 ofthe drawings, a tube A, forining'thc cylinder of the automatic airpump, lis removably mounted in the center o f -the rim B and extends radially outward into the hollow tubular tire C, which, with the ri m,-

may be of any. approved construction, the inner ,end of the tube being enlarged and threaded to adapt-it to be mounted in the said rim. A funnel D, located at the extreme inner end'f the tube, leads into an inlet-port.

' E, closed from the inside bya valve F, which i into the tire, but closes against the flow of' air in the opposite direction. A piston H, located in the outer end of the tube, is furnished with the tube, either the opening or the piston-rod' being packed in, any suitable manner. As herein shown, the piston-rod is made longitudinally adjustable by threading, its vinner end into the piston;` butthe same result may/ be reachcd'in other ways. An operating-face K,l`-secnre d'to the outer end of the piston-rod, is designed for engagement bythe tire, which between the extreme outer end ofA the tube vand the said operating-face.

Assuming the tire to have been lled with compressed air before any use of the machine, then when the' pressure of air' therein is reduced to an extent requiring correction thel tire willat that time' by contact with the ground at each revolution of tliewvheel be so far inwardlydisplaced as to engage with the operatingface on the piston-rod'and force the same inward, whereby the air inJthe tu'be or cylinder is compressed and forcedv into the tire through' the outlet-port, which is immediately after said contact closed by the' pressure of confined-air in the main y body of the tire. Air -will thusbe compressed in the tube and forced `into the tire until the pressure therein has been so far increased that it will prevent the vinward displacement of 4the tire essential to the operation of the pump, which thus derives itsinotive power from the Atire when inwardly displacedforeesthe rod and 'l piston inwardly-against the tension of 'a spiral spring L,.encircling therod andinterposed 65 K and becomes automatic in its action. One or p v ni'o're ot thcsep'u'mps may be employed, as de- -sired, and they .will 'operate with every'revolution of the wheelI so long as the pressure within the tire .is below the pressure vdetermined upon vand required for a right cushioning action of .the tire. By providing for the longitudinal adjustment of thepiston-rod the pump may be regulated or set to maintain the pressure within the tire ata highor modcrate, 'or even low, degree of inflation, accordingto the character of riding to be done or the pleasure of the rider,- for it is clear that the nearer the outer end of the rodis to Vthe tire the quicker the pump willA be caused to act, and vice versa. I do not, however, confine myself to regulating the action of the pump through the medium of the piston-rod, which is adjusted, as shown, by rst removing the pump and then screwing the rod into or out of the piston.

As shownby Fig. 2 of the drawings, a'small short tube M, mounted in the rim N, contains an inlet-valve O, opening inwardly, and ex inwardly, owing to a'reduction of the pressure -therefore have it understood that I do notii limit myself to the forms of air-pump shown of the air within it below thev pressure required for theldesired action of the tire, engages with the ball and compresses the air within,and so raises the pressure within th tire to its normal point. p

It is apparent lthat the air-pump may still take other forms than those shown. I would and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall-within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- -tcrs Patent, is-

1. rlhe "combination, with a yielding hollow',

tire, of an air-pump arrangedto be automatically-operated by motion derivedfrom the inward displacement of the ltire .under pressure, substantially as described. I

2. The combination, with a yielding hollow tire,l of an air-purnpurrangedto be automti# cally operated byrnotion derived from the inward displacement of the tire under pressure.

and adapted to be regulated in its 'pumping action, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a yielding hollow tire, of a tube extending thereinto, 'a piston located in the outer end ot the tube and having its 'rod extended into' the range ofthe tire when inwardly displaced, a spring for holding the piston and its rod in their normal positions otreadiuess to be operated by the tire,

and inlet and outlet valves respectively cotrolling port-*openings from the tube tothe air and to the tire, substantially as described. in witness whereof I have hereunto s'etmy hand in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR SYDNEY BOWLEY. Witnesses: I

ALF. C, WHITE, 17'Southamp zfonBdgs:, London, W. C.

JOSEPH LAKE, Y

17 Gracechurch Slree, London... 

